On Monday, a video circulated on social media showing alleged members of the anti-American Turkish Youth Union (TGB) attacking American service members.
One US serviceman tries to free himself from the gang but is unable to break their grip.
“Yankee go home! Yankee go home!” The men scream in English.
Several people are seen forcing a bag over the head of a person dressed in civilian clothes. One man unfurls a flag with TGB initials and a picture of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern-day Turkey.
“American soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot defile our country,” the TGB said in an X post sharing the video.
The bag over the head referred to an incident from the 2003 Iraq war when US forces in northern Iraq arrested a group of Turkish soldiers, forced hoods over their heads, and held them for three days. The incident outraged many in Turkey and across the Muslim world.
“We can confirm reports that US service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in İzmir today, and are now safe,” the US embassy to Turkey said on X.
“We thank Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation.”
The attack came after the USS Wasp carried out joint training exercises with Turkish military vessels in the Mediterranean.
The drills drew criticism from some in Turkish media close to the opposition, which saw the American ship’s deployment as part of the United States’ support for Israel.
Since suffering significant losses in Turkey’s local elections in March, the Turkish government has intensified its criticism of Israel and taken a series of steps against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed Hamas is defending Turkish lands against Israel, and that Israel – a close US ally – could attack Turkey if it’s not stopped in Gaza.
“Israel is not only attacking Palestinians in Gaza; [it is] attacking us. Hamas is the forward line defence of Anatolia in Gaza,” he said.
The statement came as bilateral relations hit a new low after Ankara completely halted trade with Israel earlier this month, demanding an unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza Strip and a ceasefire.
“Israel will answer for the 35,000 Palestinians they murdered and the 85,000 people they injured. We will be on their backs,” Erdogan added.
